Thursday, October 6, 2016

8.
Moreover, we may well believe that the Queen of Heaven herself has
granted an especial efficacy to this mode of supplication, for it was
by her command and counsel that the devotion was begun and spread abroad
by the holy Patriarch Dominic as a most potent weapon against the
enemies of the faith at an epoch not, indeed, unlike our own, of great
danger to our holy religion.

The
heresy of the Albigenses had in effect, one while covertly, another while
openly, overrun many countries, and this most vile off spring of the
Manicheans, whose deadly errors it reproduced, were the cause in stirring
up against the Church the most bitter animosity and a virulent
persecution. There seemed to be no human hope of opposing this fanatical
and most pernicious sect when timely succour came from on high through
the instrument of Mary's Rosary.

Thus
under the favour of the powerful Virgin, the glorious vanquisher of all
heresies, the forces of the wicked were destroyed and dispersed, and
faith issued forth unharmed and more shining than before. All manner of
similar instances are widely recorded, and both ancient and modern history
furnish remarkable proofs of nations saved from perils and winning
benedictions therefrom.

There
is another signal argument in favour of this devotion, inasmuch as from
the very moment of its institution it was immediately encouraged and put
into most frequent practice by all classes of society. In truth, the piety
of the Christian people honours, by many titles and in multiform ways, the
Divine Mother, who, alone most admirable among all creatures, shines
resplendent in unspeakable glory. But this title of the Rosary,
this mode of prayer which seems to contain, as it were, a final
pledge of affection, and to sum up in itself the honour due to Our
Lady, has always been highly cherished and widely used in
private and in public, in homes and in families, in the meetings of
confraternities, at the dedication of shrines, and in solemn processions;
for there has seemed to be no better means of conducting sacred
solemnities, or of obtaining protection and favours.

9. Nor
may we permit to pass unnoticed the especial Providence of God displayed
in this devotion; for through the lapse of time religious fervour has
sometimes seemed to diminish in certain nations, and even this pious
method of prayer has fallen into disuse; but piety and devotion have
again flourished and become vigorous in a most marvellous manner, when,
either through the grave situation of the commonwealth or through some
pressing public necessity, general recourse has been had-more to this than
to even other means of obtaining help - to the Rosary, whereby it has
been restored to its place of honour on the altars. But there is no need
to seek for examples of this power in a past age, since we have in the
present a signal instance of it. In these times - so troublous (as we have
said before) for the Church, and so heartrending for ourselves - set as We
are by the Divine will at the helm, it is still given Us to note with
admiration the great zeal and fervour with which Mary's Rosary is
honoured and recited in every place and nation of the Catholic world.
And this circumstance, which assuredly is to be attributed to the Divine
action and direction upon men, rather than to the wisdom and efforts of
individuals, strengthens and consoles Our heart, filling Us with great
hope for the ultimate and most glorious triumph of the Church under the
auspices of Mary.

10. But
there are some who, whilst they honestly agree with what We have said, yet
because their hopes - especially as regard the peace and tranquillity of
the Church - have not yet been fulfilled, nay, rather because troubles
seem to augment, have ceased to pray with diligence and fervour, in a fit
of discouragement. Let these look into themselves and labour that the
prayers they address to God may be made in a proper spirit, according
to the precept of our Lord Jesus Christ. And if there be such, let
them reflect how unworthy and how wrong it is to wish to assign to
Almighty God the time and the manner of giving His assistance, since
He owes nothing to us, and when He hearkens to our supplications and
crowns our merits, He only crowns His own innumerable benefits;(8) and
when He complies least with our wishes it is as a good father towards his
children, having pity on their childishness and consulting their
advantage. But as regards the prayers which we join to the suffrages of
the heavenly citizens, and offer humbly to God to obtain His mercy for the
Church, they are always favourably received and heard, and either obtain
for the Church great and imperishable benefits, or their influence is
temporarily withheld for a time of greater need. In truth, to these
supplications is added an immense weight and grace - the prayers and
merits of Christ Our Lord, Who has loved the Church and has delivered
Himself up for her to sanctify her . . . so that He should be glorified in
her.(9) He is her Sovereign Head, holy, innocent, always living to make
intercession for us, on whose prayers and supplication we can always by
divine authority rely. As for what concerns the exterior and temporal
prosperity of the Church, it is evident that she has to cope with most
malicious and powerful adversaries. Too often has she suffered at their
hands the abolition of her rights, the diminution and oppression of her
liberties, scorn and affronts to her authority, and every conceivable
outrage. And if in their wickedness her enemies have not accomplished all
the injury they had resolved upon and striven to do, they nevertheless
seem to go on unchecked. But, despite them the Church, amidst all these
conflicts, will always stand out and increase in greatness and glory.
Nor can human reason rightly understand why evil, apparently so dominant,
should yet be so restricted as regards its results; whilst the Church,
driven into straits, comes forth glorious and triumphant. And she ever
remains more steadfast in virtue because she draws men to the acquisition
of the ultimate good. And since this is her mission, her prayers must have
much power to effect the end and purpose of God's providential and
merciful designs towards men. Thus, when men pray with and through the
Church, they at length obtain what Almighty God has designed from all
eternity to bestow upon mankind.(10) The subtlety of the human
intelligence fails now to grasp the high designs of Providence; but the
time will come when, through the goodness of God, causes and effects will
be made clear, and the marvellous power and utility of prayer will be
shown forth. Then it will be seen how many in the midst of a corrupt
age have kept themselves pure and inviolate from all concupiscence of the
flesh and the spirit, working out their sanctification in the fear of
God;(11) how others, when exposed to the danger of temptation, have
without delay restrained themselves gaining new strength for virtue from
the peril itself; how others, having fallen, have been seized with the
ardent desire to be restored to the embraces of a compassionate God.
Therefore, with these reflections before them, We beseech all again and
again not to yield to the deceits of the old enemy, nor for any cause
whatsoever to cease from the duty of prayer. Let their prayers be
persevering, let them pray without intermission; let their first care be
to supplicate for the sovereign good - the eternal salvation of the whole
world, and the safety of the Church. Then they may ask from God other
benefits for the use and comfort of life, returning thanks always, whether
their desires are granted or refused, as to a most indulgent father.
Finally, may they converse with God with the greatest piety and devotion
according to the example of the Saints, and that of our Most Holy Master
and Redeemer, with great cries and tears.(12)

Saturday, September 10, 2016

In his book, The Secret of the Rosary,
St. Louis de Montfort relates that Blessed Thomas of St. John was a
great devotee of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As such, he
was known for his powerful, moving sermons on the Rosary, which led
people to adopt this devotion to their great benefit.
Furiously jealous of the holy man’s success with souls, the devil
began to so torture Thomas that he fell sick, and was so ill for so long
that the doctors gave up on saving his life.
One night, when the poor man thought he was near death, the devil
appeared to him in a hideous form, coward that he is, seeking to
frighten Thomas into despair.
But, making an effort, the good priest turned to a beautiful picture
of Our Lady near his bed crying out with all his heart and strength:

No
sooner had he pronounced these words, the picture came alive and
extending her hand, the heavenly Lady laid it reassuringly on the
priest’s arm, saying:

“Do not be afraid, Thomas my son,
here I am and I am going to save you. Get up now and go on preaching my
Rosary as you did before. I promise to shield and protect you from your
enemies.”

No sooner had Our Lady pronounced these words, than the devil fled in
a hurry. Getting up, Thomas found that he was perfectly healed.
Thanking the Blessed Mother with tears of joy, Blessed Thomas again
went about preaching the Holy Rosary, now with renewed favor and
gumption, and his apostolate and his sermons were enormously
successful.
St. Louis the Montfort concludes this story saying, “Our lady not
only blesses those who say her Rosary, but also abundantly rewards those
who, by their example, inspire others to say it as well.”

Friday, April 29, 2016

Second Rose, from the Secret of the Rosary, by Saint Louis de Montfort

Since the Holy Rosary is composed, principally and in substance, of
the Prayer of Christ and the Angelic Salutation, that is, the Our Father
and the Hail Mary, it was without doubt the first prayer and the first
devotion of the faithful and has been in use all through the centuries
from the time of the Apostles and disciples down to the present.But
it was only in the year 1214, however, that Holy Mother Church received
the Rosary in its present form and according to the method we use
today. It was given to the Church by Saint Dominic who had received it
from the Blessed Virgin as a powerful means of converting the
Albigensians and other sinners.
I will tell you the story of how he received it, which is found in
the very well-known book "De Dignitate Psalterii" by Blessed Alan de la
Roche.
Saint Dominic, seeing that the gravity of people's sins was hindering
the conversion of the Albigensians, withdrew into a forest near
Toulouse where he prayed unceasingly for three days and three nights.
During this time he did nothing but weep and do harsh penances in order
to appease the anger of Almighty God. He used his discipline so much
that his body was lacerated, and finally he fell into a coma.
At this point Our Lady appeared to him, accompanied by three angels, and she said:
"Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?"
"Oh, my Lady," answered Saint Dominic, "you know far better than I do
because next to your Son Jesus Christ you have always been the chief
instrument of our salvation."
Then Our Lady replied:"I
want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has
always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New
Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win
them over to God, preach my Psalter."
So he arose, comforted, and burning with zeal, for the conversion of
the people in that district he made straight for the Cathedral. At once
unseen angels rang the bells to gather the people together and Saint
Dominic began to preach.
At the very beginning of his sermon an appalling storm broke, out,
the earth shook, the sun was darkened, and there was so much thunder and
lightning that all were very much afraid. Even greater was their fear
when looking at a picture of Our Lady exposed in a prominent place they
saw her raise her arms to heaven three times to call down God's
vengeance upon them if they failed to be converted, to amend their
lives, and seek the protection of the Holy Mother of God.
God wished, by means of these supernatural phenomena, to spread the
new devotion of the Holy Rosary and to make it more widely known.
At last, at the prayer of Saint Dominic, the storm came to an end,
and he went on preaching. So fervently and compellingly did he explain
the importance and value of the Holy Rosary that almost all the people
of Toulouse embraced it and renounced their false beliefs. In a very
short time a great improvement was seen in the town; people began
leading Christian lives and gave up their former bad habits.